Badass Woman of History # 4: Lozen

Lozen: Prophet, Warrior, Badass

Ask your average student to name a famous female Native American and inevitably two names will most likely come up: the first, Pocahontas, daughter of a Powhatan Chief, whose interactions with John Smith and marriage to John Rolfe during the very early days of English settlement of the colony of Virginia made her a overnight celebrity in England and one of the earliest American folk heroes; the second, Sacajawea, the Shoshone guide that was indispensable in helping the Lewis and Clark Expedition explore America's vast land purchase, the Louisiana Territory. I guarantee that others that are more knowledgeable could name numerous other examples of outstanding and remarkable Native American woman, but as far as the general population goes not too many have cemented themselves into the history books, let alone other media. Well I aim to do my part to fix this underwhelming representation by introduction you to one Badass Apache Warrior. Enter: Lozen, who many of dubbed the "Native American Joan of Arc."

Lozen was born into the Chihuahua Apache tribe sometime in 1840. At their height the various Apache tribes controlled approximate 15 million acres of territory in what is now known as Southwestern New Mexico, Southeastern Arizona, and adjoining parts of Northern Mexico. The Apache were known, even to other native tribes, to be highly territorial and conflicts arose with those of European descent well before American expansion, with tense if not hostile interactions being reported by both Spanish and French explorers of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The Apache did engage in trade with neighboring tribes like the Navajo, Hohokam, and Pueblo, and later with Europeans, but also saw raiding as an acceptable part of livelihood (like the Vikings), totally separate from open hostile warfare. The name Lozen is actually an Apache war title (her real name unknown) given to those who have stolen horses during Apache raids, so we can assume she has participated in attacks of some kind even before the events that made her famous. She was trained at a young age to be a medicine women, but also advocated to be trained as a warrior. Her wish was granted by her brother Victorio, and he trained her in the art of war and strategy. When American expansion did come into New Mexico the Apache seemed peaceable at first. But a culture clash was inevitable as the "acceptable" raiding of the Apache on frontier settlers grew more frequent, and frontier settlers were creeping closer and closer to Apache territory. Open hostilities started in the 1860's and after several skirmishes involving miners, frontier farmers, Mexican military and American cavalry, the US government resolved to place the Apache in a number of reservations and assume the bulk of their territory. As you can guess this did not go over to well and war with the Apache became yet another aspect of the overall American Indian Wars of the late 1800s.

President Ulysses S Grant, Victorio, and General George Crook

Lozen's story begins in 1872 with the Chiricahua being placed in the San Carlos Reservation (located in South Western Arizona) under the orders of President Grant and implemented by General Crook. As the Chiricahua were one of the few Apache people to go without too much opposition it was the wish of the president and Congress for the reservation to be administered and run by the soft hand of several religious organizations, unlike several other Apache reservations, hard handedly run by the military. But Crooks men, without the knowledge or consent of DC, took a very active role, sneering at the lenience given by clerical administrators and browbeat-ed the duly appointed Indian Agent into turning the other way to their abuses. "Hell's Forty Acres" is what San Carlos Reservation would be called as health and environmental conditions drastically deteriorated because of military interference. Reports of abuse and torture would not be allowed by Crook to reach the president, as his men saw the Indians as sport to take out their frustrations from other parts of the wider conflict, and he personally was turning a profit from confiscated Indian property. In 1877, Lozen's brother Victorio, a sub chief by then, lead several pilgrimages to another reservation, Fort Stanton, and after comparing the "normal" conditions there to their own deplorable reservation, negotiated to have his band relocate to the fertile lands near Ojo Caliente (near modern day Santa Fa, NM) but was told it would take time to establish a new reservation there. Ultimately, by 1879, the army reneged on the deal and Victorio decided to lead a revolt and escape.

For the next few months as they traveled to Ojo Caliente, the 200 men, woman, and children evaded American Military forces in and around the Black Mountain area, at the New Mexico/Arizona border. While being the undisputed warchief of the band, Victorio would attribute their successful evasion and subsequent battle victories to his sister's prophetic abilities. It was said that after praying to the Apache God Ussen she would be given a vision of were pursuing military would be. Famous Apache war leader Geronimo would later describe her use of this ability as follows:

"She would stand with her arms out stretched and while turning around chanted a prayer to Ussen saying, "Upon this earth on which we live Ussen has Power. This power is mine for locating the enemy. I search for the enemy, which only Ussen the Great can show me""

Lozen divined that soldiers were waiting for them at their destination, Ojo Caliente, and she was right. A detachment of "Buffalo Soliders" (what Natives called African American Calvary men) from the 9th Calvary were patrolling the area in anticipation of the wayward Apache. Victorio, Lozen, and a couple of other warriors ambushed the cavalrymen killing 5 before they had time to react. A small skirmish ensued resulting in the death of three more American serviceman before they retreated. Victorio and the Apache knew this escalation would not go unanswered and that they could not stay there. The band headed south traveling along the Animas River. After easily defeating a militia of angry farmers and miners outside of Silver city their reputation and band started to grow.

Then, Lozen again divined that they were being closely pursued by American Calvary. And again she was right, 2 companies of cavalry, totaling 75 men, were on their trail. Their commander Captain Bryan Dawson had decided not to engage until he could ambush them like they did back in Ojo Calinete. On the morning of September 18, 1979, the Apache set a trap, Lozen appeared at the mouth of Las Animas Canyon, pretending not to see the Navajo scouts the army had in their employee. She led them to a make shift camp deep within the canyon. The Navajo reported back to Dawson who saw this as the perfect opportunity to catch the Apache unaware. US cavalry entered into the canyon toward the camp and Victorio sprung his trap, Apache  appeared on all sides firing rifles and bows at the army. It was commented by the Apache that the Americans and their Navajo allies did not panic and fought bravely, even trying to counter attack at one point, but by dusk 5 soldiers and 2 Navajo were killed, and numerous were injured. Dawson called a retreat. Interesting points of note: 1) later, when the bodies were recovered for burial the Navajo who died there were also buried with military honors; and 2) a Lieutenant Robert Temple Emmet and Sargent John Denny would receive the Medal of Honor for the battle for initially ignoring the call for retreat in order to save the lives of some of the wounded.

A picture of some of the survivors of the Battle of Las Animas Canyon

Sargent John Denny and Lieutenant Robert Temple Emmet

For the next couple of months Lozen and Victorio led a marauding campaign across New Mexico in the Parcha River Valley and the San Andreas mountains gaining more and more followers as they sometimes alluded, sometimes defeated elements from the 6th, 9th, and 10th Calvary. It is at this point that there seemed to be some sort of split between the brother and sister. Victorio wanted to get more aggressive, more blood thirsty, meanwhile Lozen was getting concerned for the welfare of the ever increasing population of women and children. She forsaw her brother moving in the wrong direction, spiritually, and decided to take a large number of woman and children toward the border to Mexico for their safety. She made it to the banks of the Rio Grand when she realized they were about to be overtaken by American militay forces. But the area of the river where they were at was deep, swift, and rocky, and many were frozen in fear, being caught between the raging river and the pursuing army. Native American auther, James Kaywaykla, was one of the children in this band and he recalled later in life that:

"I saw a magnificent woman on a beautiful horse—Lozen, sister of Victorio. Lozen the woman warrior! High above her head she held her rifle. There was a glitter as her right foot lifted and struck the shoulder of her horse. He reared, then plunged into the torrent. She turned his head upstream, and he began swimming."

Much to the confusion of the American military the rest of the Apache dove in and all inexplicably made it to the other side as if the rapids rushing water had little effect on them. Meanwhile her premonition about her brother would come true. On April 28, 1880, in what is today Cooney, New Mexico, Victorio and his warriors would commit one of the largest civilian massacres in the Indian Wars. It started in the morning with the killing of 5 miners as they woke up in their camp, including a retired sergant Cooney, whom the town would later be named after. Miners that did escape fled to a nearby community of sheep farmers and their families. Later in the day the Apache would arrive and without warning or provocation slaughtered 35 members of the community, before being driven off by a calvarly patrol from Fort Bayard. A few days later, against the advice of some of his men, he led a frontal assault on Fort Tularosa, but were soundly defeated and driven off, thanks in part to "Buffalo Soldiers" that were there and had been survivors of his earlier attack on them.

Major General James J. Byrne

The next few months Lozen and Victorio would have limited contact as their paths crossed occasionally, with his group raiding and retreating across the Rio Grande over and over again, their attacks becoming more audacious and haphazard and Lozen continually bringing more woman and children to safety into Mexico. So far the "Apache War", in the eyes of the US military command, was just any other front of the overall Indian Wars. But that would change in August of 1880, Lozen confided in her brother of a vision of the movement of a person of "great significance", but she told him this so he would steer any of the fighting clear of this individual, as she did not understand yet what that significance could be. Victorio saw it differently, he saw it as a divinely mandated target to be taken out that would bring a great victory to their cause. Victorio caught up to the stage coach Lozen had seen in her vision and assassinated the person inside. That person was retired Major General James J. Byrne, a well liked man who had made a name for himself during the civil war, who had risen through the ranks from newly arrived Irish immigrant draftee all the way to Major General through hard work and adherance to duty. After the war he had retired to Texas were he had developed into a go between for the railroads and the military. Oddlly enough, he is the other person in this story that was credited with visions. Apparently he had  advised the railroads a few years ago to stay clear of the southern New Mexico and Arizona border, just for now, as he had a "feeling" native trouble would hit that region. The railroads, for the most part and with just a few exceptions, listened. And in a letter written to his wife, which she received the same day she was notified of his death, he informed her he had the "feeling" he would be killed soon and had laid out plans of how his estate was to be managed.

His death incurred the wrath of not only rank and file soldiers who looked up to and admired him and military officers that worked with him, but with the powerful politicians and railroad barons back east. The military's eye was now fixed on the Apache, and on Victorio's raiders specifically. Diplomatic overtures were made to the Mexican government to coordinate efforts to defeat the threat. Over the next few weeks the American/Mexican plan to put down Victorio was played out, massive cavalry attacks and pursuits drove Victorio across Rio Grande and straight into the Mexican army and in October of 1880, Mexican officials reported to the US that Victorio had been killed in combat.

 Geronimo and Nana

Lozen felt the death of her brother and returned to what was left of his band, hiding out in Sierra Madra, desperately being held together by her and Victorio's mentor and the tribes spiritual chief Nana. They would go back to small scale raids and with the help of Lozen's visions avoiding engagment with the military. Then in 1885, when Geronimo started his revolt, Lozen and Nana joined what was left of their band to Geronimo's 140 men. Nana conviced Geronimo of Lozen's importance telling him: 

"She was Victorio's right hand, strong as a man, braver than most, and cunning in strategy. Lozen is a shield to her people."

Again with the aid of her visions the the Apache attacks started to become bigger and well planned. Geronimo would count her as one of his most trusted advisors during council and noted several times in his writings of her skill as a warrior in battle. The Geronimo campaign would bring Lozen's original adversary back into her life, as it was General Crook who was in charge of bringing Geronimo to heel. But time and again she embarrassed him in his efforts, making sure to leave markers or tokens to let him know she was among those he could not pin down. After many attemps Crook finally had the drop on the Apache and Geronimo sued for terms of surrender. But a soldier snuck over to the Apache camp in the middle of the night and confessed to Geronimo that Crook was planning on slaughtering them as soon as they laid down arms and surrendered in the morning. Geronimo immediately broke camp and escaped into the night. This revelation destroyed Crooks career and he was relieved of duty by General Sheridan, which must have been a small satisfaction to Lozen. Eventually forces under the command of Captain Henry Lawton of the 4th Calvary and infantry from Fort Huachuca under the command of Lieutenant Charles Gatewood defeated Geronimo at Skeleton Canyon Arizona, and marched the majority of the Apache with dignity and care, back to an improved San Carlos Reservation. Geronimo and some of the other leaders were moved around from fort to fort between Texas, Oaklahoma, and Florida, before finally permanently residing at Mount Vernon Barracks in Alabama. Lozen, back at San Carlos, heard word that her and the other Chihuahua Apache that where part of Victorio's original band were to be shipped to Alcatraz prison. They again fled into the wilderness and from their negotiated for better terms for her people. After on again, off again talks it was finally agreed thanks to the intervention of Geronimo, that the entirety of the Chihuahua were to be sent to a reservation in Florida, no families would be split up and no one else was to be prosecuted for the rebellion. Lozen herself was to return with Geronimo to Mount Vernon Barracks in Alabama, where she would live out the rest of her days until she died of Tuberculosis in 1889.

Below is the last know image of Lozen. To the right is the complete picture of the group of Apache waiting to get on the train to Alabama, Lozen can be seen at the very top back row, slightly right of center sitting just behind Geronimo. To the left is a zoomed in image of her. Her time at the barracks was uneventful and she was given realtive freedom of movement upon the property. She even helped in the infirmary, caring for the Native and military sick alike. Her lasting impact is the preservation of her sub tribe, the Chihuahua Apache, as it is estimated she rescued about 300 non combatants from the Apache Warzone to relative safety across the Rio Grande, and gave up her own freedom, confined to a military base, so as the rest of the Chihuahua Apache would not be split apart. The fact that US government was at first wanting to lock her in Alcatraz (a place to put people you did not want escaping) and when that was not going to work exceeded to her demands to not separate her people just goes to show much concern they had for this potential adversary, making her one Badass of History.